Hitler beetle sparks a new fad 希特勒甲蟲帶動新流行

The so-called itler beetle?under an electron microscope in Germany.被稱為「希特勒」的甲蟲在德國一處電子顯微鏡下的模樣。

PHOTO: EPA

A tiny, blind, brown beetle that hides in the caves of Slovenia is changing hands for as much as 1,000 euros (NT$42,000) because it is named after Adolf Hitler, an insect collector in Munich has said.

The creatures were given the scientific name Anophtalmus hitleri in honor of the Nazi dictator when they were discovered in the 1930s.

Collecting them has become a fad among neo-Nazis in recent years.

“There has been a rush for them. Collectors are scouring the caves,” said Martin Baehr, the entomologist at the State Zoological Museum in Munich. “Almost all of our specimens at the museum have been stolen.”

Baehr said it was unlikely the bugs would be hunted to extinction.

Nazi interest in the insect goes back several years. Scientists are only slightly interested in it, as it is not too different from other cave-beetle species.

The bug was named by a German, Oscar Scheibel, the first to describe it scientifically. Some accounts say he received a letter of thanks from Hitler for the “honor.” Species names, which are adapted to Latin form, can be descriptive or are taken from proper names.

In some cases, having a beetle named after you may be taken as an insult.

Agathidium bushi, a beetle that feeds on slime-mold, was named last year after US President George W. Bush.(DPA)